Air conditioning device



March 1942- J. P.'GLASBY. JR

AIR CONDITIONINGDEVICE Original Filed April 2, 1936 2 Sheets-SheetlFIG].

INVENTOR J'QMTHA/VR GLASBXM WJLMMJ BY (Om m ATTORNEY March 3, 1942. J Gs JR I 2,275,358

AIR CONDITIONING DEVICE Original Filed April 2, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR J'O/VATMN I? GLASBXJR.

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 3, 1942 AIR CONDITIONING DEVICE Jonathan P.Glasby, Jr., Verona, N. J., assignor to J. P. Glasby Manufacturing Co.,Inc., Bloomfield, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey ApplicationApril'2, 1936, Serial No. 72,302 Renewed October 18, 1939 Claims.

The invention relates to an air conditioning device of the type in whichair withdrawn from the rooms of a building is filtered, preheated, thenfinally heated, humidified and returned to'the rooms as part of acirculatory air heating system.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved, morecompact and incidentally more pleasing appearance to an air conditioningdevice than similar devices now known. Incidental to this generalobject, the invention features a compact construction of relativelysmall over-all demensions, and which will provide for a more efficientdistribution of heating surface within a compact space than has beenpossible heretofore with devices of correspondingly small cubicaldimensions.

One means by which this objective is attained is by locating the fan inthe discharge end of the air heating conduit formed in part by the fanscroll and which in turn is located in the path of the products of.combustion and thus in the hottest portion of the conduit which containsthe hot burning gases leading off from the combustion zone. Preferablythe fan is located just above the combustion zone.

Still another object of the invention and featuring economy in operationis the utilization of a fan of relatively large capacity which iscapable of being driven from an electric motor of relatively small horsepower and so disposing the fan in the air conduit that it will draw theair throughthe filters and through the passages forming part of the heatexchange rather than by following the usual practice of forcing the airover the heating unit, and according to this invention, utilizing thepressure side of the fan to sweep the clean, heated air along theintensely heated fan scroll as the air heated by contact therewith isdischarged into the outlet conduits or ducts leading to the rooms to beheated.

While the present disclosure features the locating of the fan in thehottest part of the air conduit, the disclosure contemplates thelocating of the motor or other power means for driving the fan, and asmuch as possible of the fan mechanism, in an outer space at leastpartially insulated from the heating efiect of the gas conduit andpreferably in a relatively cold portion of the air conduit.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in partobvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part willbe more fully set forth in the following particular description .of oneform of the device embodying the invention, and the invention alsoconsists in certain new and novel features of construction and acombination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section taken from front to rear of apreferred embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view substantially at right angles to the showing inFig. I and taken on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. Ilooking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

' In the drawings there is shown a main or inner metallic casing III ofsomewhat rectangular form and including a front wall I I, a stepped rearwall I2, side walls I3 and I4, bottom I5 and top I6, all integrallyweldedfollowing conventional practice in this respect. Encircling thefront, rear I and side walls is an intermediate shell I! having itsupper end bent inwardly as shown at I8 and terminating in an upstandingouter flange I9 which overlaps the casing top I6 and thus provides asupport for the hanging shell II. The shell I1 is spaced from theupstanding walls of the main casing to form therebetween a relativelywide annular inner warmed air conduit 20 with its lower end 2I opened toa bottom cold air chamber 22 hereinafter described.

The construction thus far described is enclosed in an outer metallicjacket 23 which includes a bottom 24, front wall 25,- rear wall 26, sidewalls 27 and 28 and top 29. In lieu of bottom 24, to reduce the heightof the heater where desired, the side walls may rest directly on thefloor of the room. The jacketing shell 23 is spaced slightly from theintermediate shell I6 to form therebetween an outer heat insulating airjacket 30 also open at its lower end 3I to the bottom cold air chamber22. The air flowing through chamber 30 is relatively cold. The rear wall23 as shown in Fig. I is inclined downwardly and outwardly as shown at32 and is provided with an opening 33 which communicates with the roomsthrough the duct system forming no part of this disclosure and fromwhich relatively cold air is admitted into the bottom cold air chamber22. Filters 34 extend across the opening 33 and are thus located at theintake end of the air heating system herein disclosed. The air chamber22 as particularly noted in Fig. I is formed between jacket bottom 24,the casing bottom I5 and an off-set extension 35 forming the lowerportion of the intermediate shell at the rear of the device.

It is herein suggested that the device as a whole be spaced above thefloor 36 by means of legs 31 which preferably extend through the bottom24 of the jacket to support the more rugged casing [0. Other legs 38 maybe additionally employed particularly at the front side of the device tosupport burner 39, door frame it] and other usual structural parts atthe front of the device. In this way the casing of the device is spacedas a whole above the floor and provides therebetween a floor air spaceii which tends to air insulate the device from the floor and is ofparticular advantage in those locations where the floor is subject toflooding or dampness.

The interior or the casing I is designed to provide a combustion space52 in one portion, say the lower portion thereof, and thus forms one endof a burning gas conduit, the opposite end of which terminates in asmoke flue 43 which w extends from the rear wall [2 outwardly throughthe shell H and jacket wall 23 as shown at the right hand side ofFig. 1. Between the c'o'mbus tion chamber 42 and the smoke flue 43 islo= cated a heat exchange 3 which includes a tortuous heat conduit 45leading from a gas intake 48 at the upper portion of the interior of thecasing It and discharging into the smoke flue 43. This conduit is formedin part by a pair of upstanding metal walls Mia and hthe latter of whichdepends from the portion of the rear wall just above the smoke hue andintrudes into a box-like casing it formed in part by the rear wall it?of the casing. The casing 43 intrudes into the inner cold air conduit2:) at the rear of the device and is located above the overhanging wall35 of the intermediate shell. It is appreciated from examining Fig. 1that the inner cold air conduit 29 in the portion thereof at the rear ofthe device surrounds, and thus forms part of, the heat exchange 46 andthat the air admitted through the opening 33 is preheated not only bycontact with the walls of the heat exchange but is also heated on allsides or the casing by its contact with the several walls of the inaincasing. The intermediate shell I! is provided at its inbent portion it!with a plurality of vent openings 29 placing the outer air jacketingspace 3%) in communication with the conduit 28 adjacent their upperends.

The opposite side walls is and 14 of the casing as shown in Fig. 2 areprovided with aligned openings outlined by annular frames 50 and 5|leading to the fan structure hereinafter described.

Positioned in that part of the main casing I'll remote from the part :2and shown as above the combustion chamber 62 is a metal box-likepartition 52, the bottom or" which forms a fan scroll 5 3 and'vvhichpartition52 divides the other portion of the casing interior into a fa'ncontaining cochleate chamber 54 and the balance into a hot burning gaspassageway leading to the gas intake at 45. Opposite sides of theboxlike member 52 are provided with conical rings 55 and 55 which formthe suction intake openings to offset the sides of the fan '5"! andthrough which air is drawn from the 'cold air conduits into the'fanthrough the frames'fifi and 5!. Fan 5! includes "a cylindrical drumframe 58. The fan shaft 59 extends from opposite ends of the frame 58through the rings 55 and 56 and through the frame 50 and 5! asparticularly shown in Fig. 2. The outer ends of the shaft are supportedin bearings 59 and 58 in turn supported from brackets 6| secured to acontaining casing 62 and which in turn is supported from a structuralpart of the furnace, part of which is shown by the angular'member '63.The housing casing 62 for the shaft bearings .is secured through itsopposite open sides.

to the intermediate shell l8 and associated bearings 59 and Bi] areexposed through opening 64 in the shell so that they are contained inthe outer cold air jacketing space or conduit 39. The fan is driven froman electric motor 65 also contained in the outer cold air conduit andconnected by means of belt 68 to drive pulley 61 at one end of the fanshaft.

The pressure outlet 68 from the fan casing 53 opens through the casingtop l6 and discharges into the interior of a rectangular dome or plenumchamber 69 mounted on top of a casing l0 and specifically shown to fitabout the flange l9 and engage the top of the outlining jacket. The domeis provided with several air discharge ports ifi leading into conduits Hwhich pass to the several rooms as is usual in devices of thischaracter. The dome 69 is shown to contain several cooperatingmechanisms, such, for instance, as the humidifier T2 with evaporatingpan is, thermostatically controlled valve 74 for discharging water ontoan incline 15 which discharges into the pan 1%. There is also disclosedthermostat 16 for controlling the circuit which includes the motor 65and within the casing is shown a hot water copper coil l'l, all theseparts forming no particular part of the present invention.

In operation it will be understood that air is admitted through theopening 33 and is drawn through the filters 3t and passes as indicatedby the arrows upwardly into both the inner and outer cold airconduits'andfrom both of which conduits the'air is drawn by the fan intothe interior of the same along the line of its axis indicated by the fanshaft. It will thus "be seen that the air is drawn by suction effectthrough the filters and past the several heat exchange walls and iseventually drawn into the fan space From the fan it is whirled underpressure against the sides and particularly against the scroll portionof the fan casing during which action the air is heated by directcontact with the intensely hot fan scroll and is eventually dischargedout through the outlet 68 through the dome and into the duct systemleading 'to the rooms.

Referring to the hot gas flow it will be seen that these gases"originate in the combustion chamber 42, pass under, around and up pastthe fan'scroll 53, pass to the upper portion of the casing 1'6 and thenare turned downwardly into the heat conduit 65, under passing the wall41 and eventually are discharged from the device into the smoke flueheating the air thereabout iniits passage out of 'the devi'ce.

By means of a device of this character, it s possibleby proper designingof heat exchange to abstract practically'all of the'heat'fro'mthe-burning gases before they are eventually-discharged. There isparticularly featured in this disclosure the heating of the fan scrollin the path of the products of combustion, and in the illustratedembodiment, just above the combustion zona'so that the 'air'receives itsmaximum amount of heat and heat at maximum temperature at the pointwhere it as about to bedischarg'edfrom theheating apparatus.

The presentdisclosure also features the utili- 'zation of a more orless'de'ad air jacket surrounding the inner, relatively cold conduit butwhich as a matter of fact is only com'paratively cold'with reference tothe hotter part of the conduit-at'the top of'the casing and within thefan casing. This insulating air jacket is designed-to take the'place ofthe more expensive heat insulating walls in general use in suchconstructions.

What is claimed is:

1. In an air conditioning device, in combination, a combustion chamber,rectangular in crosssection having a top wall and a bottom Wall andformed in the upper portion thereof with an outlet for the products ofcombustion, a cochleate passage in the upper portion of said combustionchamber extending substantially across the combustion chamber from sideto side, the outlet of said cochleate passage being disposed in the topwall of the combustion chamber and said passage being disposed in thepath of the products of combustion, an inner casing of rectangularcross-section defining an inner air chamber surrounding said combustionchamber and in spaced relation thereto, an inlet of said cohcleatepassage being formed at each side in the side wall of the combustionchamber and opening into said inner air chamber, an outer casing ofrectangular crosssection comprising a bottom and enclosing, in spacedrelation, the combustion chamber and the inner casing and defining anouter air chamber, a centrifugal fan in said cochleate passage having afan shaft, bearings for said fan shaft disposed in the inner casing inthe path of the air entering the inlets of the cochleate passage, saidinner casing being formed with passages at the top and bottom to conductair from the outer air chamber into the inner air chamber and an airinlet in the lower portion of the outer casing.

2. In an air conditioning device, in combmation, a combustion chamber,rectangular in crosssection having a top wall and a bottom wall andformed in the upper portion thereof with an outlet for the products ofcombustion, a cochleate passage in the upper portion of said combustionchamber extending substantially across the combustion chamber from sideto side, the outlet of said cochleate passage being disposed in the topwall of the combustion chamber and said passage being disposed in thepath of the products of combustion, an inner casing of rectangularcrosssection defining an inner air chamber surrounding said combustionchamber and in spaced relation thereto, an inlet of said cochleatepassage being formed at each side in the side wall of the combustionchamber and opening into said inner air chamber, an outer casing ofrectangular cross-section comprising a bottom and enclosing, in spacedrelation, the combustion chamber and the inner casing and defining anouter air chamber, a centrifugal fan in said cochleate passage having afan shaft, bearings for said fan shaft disposed in the inner casing inthe path of the air entering the inlets of the cochleate passage, saidinner casing being formed with passages at the top and bottom to conductair from the outer air chamber into the inner air chamber, an air inletin the lower portion of the outer casing, an end of the fan shaftextending within the outer air chamber, a motor in the flow of airentering the air chambers and operative connections between the motorand the fan shaft end disposed in an air passage.

3. In an air conditioning device, in combination, a combustion chamber,rectangular in cross-section having a top wall and a bottom wall andformed in the upper portion thereof with an outlet for the products ofcombustion, a cochleate passage in the upper portion of said combustionchamber extending substantially across the combustion chamber from sideto side, the outlet of said cochleate passage being disposed in the topWall of the combustion chamber and said passage being disposed in thepath of the products of combustion, an inner casing of rectangularcrosssection defining an inner air chamber surrounding said combustionchamber and in spaced relation thereto, an inlet of said cochleatepassage being formed at each side in the side wall of the combustionchamber and opening into said inner air chamber, an outer casing ofrectangular crosssection comprising a bottom and enclosing, in spacedrelation, the combustion chamber and the inner casing and defining anouter air chamber, a centrifugal fan in said cochleate passage having afan shaft, bearingsfor said fan shaft disposed in the inner casing inthe path of the air entering the inlets of the cochleate passage, saidinner casing being formed with passages at the top and bottom to conductair from the outer air chamber into the inner air chamber, an air inletin the lower portion of the outer casing and a plenum chamber disposedon the top wall of the combustion chamber formed with air outlets andreceiving air directly from the outlet of the cochleate passage.

4. In an air conditioning device, in combination, a combustion chamber,rectangular in cross-section having a top wall and a bottom wall andformed in the upper portion thereof with an outlet for the products ofcombustion, a cochleate passage in the upper portion of said combustionchamber extending substantially across the combustion chamber from sideto side, the outlet of said cochleate passage being disposed in the topwall of the combustion chamber and said passage being disposed in thepath of the products of combustion, an inner casing of rectangularcross-section defining an inner air chamber surrounding said combustionchamber and in spaced relation thereto, an inlet of said cochleatepassage being formed at each side in the side wall of the combustionchamber and opening into said inner air chamber, an outer casing ofrectangular crosssection comprising a bottom and enclosing, in spacedrelation, the combustion chamber and the inner casing and defining anouter air chamber, a centrifugal fan in said cochleate passage having afan shaft, bearings for said fan shaft disposed in the inner casing inthe path of the air entering the inlets of the cochleate passage, saidinner casing being formed with passages at the top and bottom to conductair from the outer air chamber into the inner air chamber, an air inletin the lower portion of the outer casing, a plenum chamber disposed onthe top wall of the combustion chamber formed with air outlets andreceiving air directly from the outlet of the cochleate passage and anair humidifier in the plenum chamber.

5. In an air conditioning device, in combination, a combustion chamber,rectangular in crosssection having a top wall and a bottom wall andformed in the upper portion thereof with an outlet for the products ofcombustion, a cochleate passage in the upper portion of said combustionchamber extending substantially across the combustion chamber from sideto side, the outlet of said cochleate passage being disposed in the topwall of the combustion chamber and said passage being disposed in thepath of the products of combustion, an inner casing of rectangularcross-section defining an inner air chamber surrounding said combustionchamber and in spaced relation thereto, an inlet of said cochleatepassage being formed at each side in the side wall of the combustionchamber and opening into said inner air chamber, an outer casing ofrectangular crosssection comprising a bottom and enclosing, in spacedrelation, the combustion chamber and the inner casing and defining anouter air chamber, a centrifugal fan in said cochleate passage having afan shaft, bearings for said fan shaft disposed in the inner casing inthe path of the air entering the inlets of the cochleate passage, saidinner casing being formed with passages at the top and bottom to conductair from the outer air chamber into the inner air chamber, an air inletin the lower portion of the outer casing and a conduit for the productsof combustion extending from the outlet therefor in heat exchangerelation with at least one of the air chambers.

6. In an air conditioning device, in combination, an outer casing, aninner casing therewithin and defining an outer air chamber therebetween,a combustion chamber within the inner casing forming with the innercasing, an inner air chamber, means to conduct air to the lower part ofthe outer'air chamber and to the lower part of the inner air chamber,means to conduct air from the upper portion of the outer casing only tothe 'upper portion of the inner casing, said combusticn chamber beingformed in the upper portion thereof with an outlet for the products ofcombustion, a cochleate passage in the upper portion of said combustionchamber extending substantially across the combustion chamber, theoutlet of said cochleate passage being disposed in the upper portion ofthe combustion chamber and the Wall of said passage being disposed inthe path of the products of combustion, an inlet of said cochleatepassage being formed in the side wall of the combustion chamber andopening only into said inner air chamber to receive air therefrom and afan in said cochleate passage to draw air from the inner air chamberthrough said inlet into said cochleate passage.

'7. In an air conditioning device, in combination, a combustion chamber,rectangular in crosssection having a top wall and a bottom wall andformed in the upper portion thereof with an outlet for the products ofcombustion, a cochleate passage in the upper portion of said combustionchamber extending substantially across the combustion chamber from sideto side, the outlet of said cochleate passage being disposed in the topwall of the combustion chamber and said passage being disposed in thepath of the products of combustion, an inner casing of rectangularcrosssection defining an inner air chamber surrounding said combustionchamber and in spaced relation thereto, an inlet of said cochleatepassage being formed at each side in the side wall of the combustionchamber and opening into said inner air chamber, an outer casing ofrectangular cross-section comprising a bottom and enclosing, in spacedrelation, the combustion chamber and the inner casing and defining anouter air chamber, a centrifugal fan in said cochleate passage having afan shaft, bearings for said fan shaft disposed in the inner casing inthe path of the air entering the inlets of the cochleate passage, saidinner casing being formed with passages at the top and bottom to conductair from the outer air chamber into the inner air chamber and an airinlet in the lower portion of the outer casing.

8. In an air conditioning device, in combination, a combustion chamber,rectangular in crosssection having a top wall and a bottom wall andformed in the upper portion thereof with an outlet for the products ofcombustion and in the lower portion of a side wall with an opening, achamber in communicating relation with the combustion chamber throughsaid last named opening, a source of heat in the last named chamber, acochleate passage in the upper portion of said combustion chamberextending substantially across the combustion chamber from side to side,the outlet of said cochleate passage being disposed in the top wall ofthe combustion chamber and said passage being disposed in the path ofthe products of combustion, an inner casing of rectangular cross-sectiondefining an inner air chamber surrounding said combustion chamber andchamber containing said source of heat and in spaced relation thereto,an inlet of said cochleate passage being formed at each side in the sidewall of the combustion chamber and opening into said inner air chamber,an outer casing enclosing, in spaced relation, the combustion chamberand the inner casing and defining an outer air chamber, a centrifugalfan in said cochleate passage having a fan shaft, bearings for said fanshaft disposed in one of said chambers in the path of the air moving tothe inlets of the cochleate passage, said inner casing being formed withpassages at the top and bottom to conduct air from the outer air chamberinto the inner air chamber and an air inlet in the outer casing.

9. In an air conditioning device, in combination, a combustion chambersubstantially rectangular in cross-section formed in the upper portionthereof with an outlet for the products of combustion, a cochleatepassage in the upper portion of said combustion chamber extendingsubstantially across the combustion chamber from side to side butterminating in spaced relation to the respective sides, the outlet ofsaid cochleate passage being disposed in the upper portion of thecombustion chamber and said cochleate passage being disposed in the pathof the products of combustion, a casing defining an air chambersurrounding said combustion chamber and in spaced relation thereto,inlets of said cochleate passage being formed in the side walls thereof,inlets formed in the opposite sides of the combustion chamber in theupper portion thereof and in register with the inlets of the cochleatepassage, conduits connecting said inlets respectively whereby productsof combustion may impinge upon the sides of the cochleate passage andsaid conduits for heat exchange relationship with the air passingtherethrough, a centrifugal fan in said cochleate passage and an airinlet in a lower portion of the casing whereby air is drawn by the fanthrough said air inlet and upwardly over the outer surface of saidcombustion chamber to the inlets and conduits leading to the cochleatepassage.

10. In an air conditioning furnace, in combination, a combustionchamber, a fuel burner in one end portion thereof, said combustionchamber being formed in an opposite end portion thereof with an outletfor the products of combustion, a cochleate passage in the combustionchamber extending across the combustion chamber intermediate the fuelburner and the said outlet for products of combustion and so spaced fromthe fuel burner that only products of combustion strike the Wall of thecochleate passage, air inlets for the cochleate passage formed in thewall of the combustion chamber and facing in opposite directions, a fanin the cochleate passage registering with each air inlet, a casingsurroundwhereby air upon entering said air inlet first passes in heatexchange relationship over that portion of the combustion chamberadjacent the fuel burner before being drawn through the inv lets for thecochleate passage.

JONATHAN P. GLASBY, JR.

